These days, it’s not unusual for campus security guards and university administrators to shut down free speech for no apparent reason — this time, a student was accused of being too “outgoing.”
Dustin Winsky, a senior at Fairmont State University in West Virginia, was collecting signatures and recruiting new members to his Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) chapter during the annual student organization fair. He was approached by campus security and told to cease his efforts. According to a YAL press release, the security guard “explained that the student fair activities are the discretion of the police, and Winsky was too ‘outgoing’ in his efforts to collect signatures.”
His sign he was wearing said, “Do U think the NSA should spy on your phone?”
Reading through the Fairmont State University free speech guidelines, it doesn’t appear as though Winsky was doing anything wrong by promoting his club at the student fair. He was holding a sign and discussing issues with other students, not interfering with other campus events, destroying property, or threatening public safety.
However, incidents like this are nothing new for conservative and libertarian clubs on college campuses. YAL Executive Director Cliff Maloney Jr. said, “we’ve seen this countless times.”
“I don’t know what these schools are thinking,” he said. “The First Amendment is pretty clear.”
Incidents like this are also the reason why the group has re-launched its national “Fight For Free Speech” campaign.
YAL targets public universities with restrictive speech policies, such as “free speech zones,” and holds “trigger events,” where they encourage students to exercise their First Amendment rights outside of the specific area(s) designated by the school. YAL works with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), which will get involved when students run into trouble with the school administrators.
“As opposed to stifling our protected rights, we encourage university administrations across the country to adopt the Chicago principles on freedom of expression,” said Maloney. “Universities should be a place for open dialogue and we will continue this battle to ensure that our First Amendment rights remain protected — not just on college campuses, but everywhere in America.”
